WEBVTT - 40 Days Through Revelation 0:00:08.060 --> 0:00:11.090 If you could sum up the Book of Revelations teaching 0:00:11.090 --> 0:00:16.400 in just one word, what word would you choose? Judgment. Violence. Finale. 0:00:16.550 --> 0:00:19.460 What about the word blessing? Just ahead. It's a look 0:00:19.460 --> 0:00:22.970 at 40 days through revelation plus will unpack all the 0:00:22.970 --> 0:00:26.239 news stories from the Middle East and answer your Bible questions. 0:00:26.270 --> 0:00:28.790 Join us now for the land and the book from 0:00:28.790 --> 0:00:32.030 Moody Radio. I'm John Geiger. Always glad to sit down 0:00:32.030 --> 0:00:34.610 with our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. Charlie has led more 0:00:34.610 --> 0:00:39.080 than 100 tours to Israel. He's also traveled to Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:42.320 Greece and other great places to bring additional perspectives. He 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:45.740 brings enormous breadth to every discussion we have here on 0:00:45.740 --> 0:00:47.470 the land of the book. Welcome, Charlie. 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:49.850 John, great. Thank you. It's good to being back with 0:00:49.850 --> 0:00:51.620 you again. I always enjoy our time together. 0:00:51.620 --> 0:00:54.560 Well, Israel has been on our hearts for these past weeks. 0:00:54.560 --> 0:00:56.750 Many of us have been struggling with questions of what 0:00:56.750 --> 0:00:59.510 to think and feel. And in the midst of all this, 0:00:59.510 --> 0:01:03.020 God's heart for the Jewish people remains unchanged. He is 0:01:03.020 --> 0:01:05.179 faithful to his chosen people. 0:01:05.330 --> 0:01:07.010 And that's right. And that's why, as this year is 0:01:07.010 --> 0:01:09.800 drawing to a close, our friends at Life in Messiah 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:12.740 would like to help you better connect with this crucial 0:01:12.740 --> 0:01:16.490 aspect of God's character. They're offering their new book, Sharing 0:01:16.490 --> 0:01:19.790 God's Heart to Land. In the book listeners, this 30 0:01:19.790 --> 0:01:23.420 day guided reflection will help connect you with God's heart 0:01:23.420 --> 0:01:26.960 for his precious people. The articles written by Life and 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:30.860 Messiah staff provide insight into Jewish life and culture. They 0:01:30.860 --> 0:01:33.470 can help you prepare to share with your friends the 0:01:33.470 --> 0:01:37.279 peace of Messiah they so desperately need. If you'd like 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:39.530 one of these insightful books for yourself or as a 0:01:39.530 --> 0:01:43.369 gift for someone else, visit Life in Messiah org and 0:01:43.370 --> 0:01:46.070 click on the Moody Radio button to find out how 0:01:46.069 --> 0:01:50.600 you can receive your copy. That's life in Messiah. Org 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:50.930 I hope. 0:01:50.930 --> 0:01:53.690 You've been enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend. We do have so 0:01:53.690 --> 0:01:56.060 much to be thankful for, right? But we have to 0:01:56.060 --> 0:02:00.470 turn our focus now toward the conflict with Hamas. It continues. Israel, 0:02:00.470 --> 0:02:02.990 of course, is already beginning to focus on lessons that 0:02:02.990 --> 0:02:06.710 need to be learned to avoid future attacks. Charlie, what 0:02:06.710 --> 0:02:09.980 military changes might we see coming out of this conflict? 0:02:09.980 --> 0:02:12.860 Well, let me start with the positive. Once Israel got 0:02:12.860 --> 0:02:17.450 engaged in the battle, their superior forces overwhelmed Hamas. And 0:02:17.450 --> 0:02:21.589 their plan for what they called integrated warfare worked even 0:02:21.590 --> 0:02:24.589 better than they had hoped it would. Hamas was convinced 0:02:24.590 --> 0:02:28.820 that embedding itself in civilian population centers with deep tunnels 0:02:28.820 --> 0:02:32.959 under homes and hospitals would negate Israel's air power. They 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:36.109 also believe that the hand-to-hand combat in the crowded streets 0:02:36.110 --> 0:02:39.350 and alleyways would give them the advantage. They wanted to 0:02:39.350 --> 0:02:43.370 lure Israel in and then cause as many casualties as possible. 0:02:43.370 --> 0:02:47.270 But Israel's new plan for integrated warfare, which was untested 0:02:47.270 --> 0:02:51.230 up till now, showed how the coordinated use of troops, tanks, 0:02:51.230 --> 0:02:55.220 air power and real time intelligence enabled them to strike 0:02:55.220 --> 0:03:00.049 ambush points and underground tunnels with minimal casualties. Some preliminary 0:03:00.050 --> 0:03:02.810 reports that said they could have up to a thousand casualties. 0:03:02.810 --> 0:03:05.630 And as we're recording, it's actually less far less than 0:03:05.630 --> 0:03:09.500 100 right now. Now, Israel did discover flaws in their 0:03:09.500 --> 0:03:13.850 defensive strategy. The biggest flaw was the massive intelligence failure. 0:03:13.850 --> 0:03:16.820 At the very beginning, they bought into reports that Hamas 0:03:16.820 --> 0:03:20.389 wasn't ready for a major conflict, and they ignored reports 0:03:20.389 --> 0:03:24.740 about their training exercises. Israel allowed itself to be understaffed 0:03:24.740 --> 0:03:27.980 along the border, in part because of the Jewish holiday. 0:03:28.070 --> 0:03:31.670 They had also been cutting back on military preparation several 0:03:31.669 --> 0:03:34.400 years ago. They reduced the length of time required for 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:37.970 mandatory military service and reserve duty, and they were actually 0:03:37.970 --> 0:03:41.420 talking about the possibility of going to an all volunteer army. 0:03:41.420 --> 0:03:45.680 It's likely they'll now reconsider retaining mandatory service and extending 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:48.770 the duration of reserve duty. They were planning to reduce 0:03:48.770 --> 0:03:51.770 their fleet of attack helicopters, but now they're likely going 0:03:51.770 --> 0:03:54.740 to increase the numbers since they've played such a vital role. 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:59.030 Artificial intelligence helped Israel and the selection of targets in Gaza, 0:03:59.030 --> 0:04:01.430 and it's likely that they're now going to expand the 0:04:01.430 --> 0:04:05.300 use of AI in future conflicts. The Iron Dome and 0:04:05.300 --> 0:04:08.930 aero systems both proved their worth, but it's interesting nothing 0:04:08.930 --> 0:04:12.170 has been reported on how the iron beam system functioned, 0:04:12.170 --> 0:04:14.570 though they said it was going to be put into use. 0:04:14.750 --> 0:04:18.050 That suggests it wasn't quite ready for prime time, so 0:04:18.050 --> 0:04:20.450 they're going to be pushing to bring it online as 0:04:20.450 --> 0:04:24.770 quickly as possible. And finally, Israel realized how long it 0:04:24.770 --> 0:04:28.160 took to mobilize and bring its forces to bear, especially 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:31.370 in the first crucial hours. They'll now work to increase 0:04:31.370 --> 0:04:35.780 both the efficiency and effectiveness of any future response, especially 0:04:35.779 --> 0:04:37.909 from Hezbollah up in the north. 0:04:38.390 --> 0:04:40.820 Well, that's Dr. Charlie Dire. This is the land in 0:04:40.820 --> 0:04:42.589 the book. We're taking a look kind of from a 0:04:42.589 --> 0:04:46.790 30,000 foot level at this Hamas attack, the conflict that's followed. 0:04:46.790 --> 0:04:49.700 Do we have any idea, Charlie, what changes Israel might 0:04:49.700 --> 0:04:52.670 undergo politically once this war is over? 0:04:52.940 --> 0:04:55.040 Yeah. Once the war is in the rearview mirror, there's 0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:57.950 going to be a lot of finger pointing and second guessing. 0:04:58.040 --> 0:05:01.310 The state comptroller has already issued a critical report on 0:05:01.310 --> 0:05:05.060 the government's lack of preparedness, and on its slow response. 0:05:05.060 --> 0:05:08.430 Israel was. Right down the middle politically before the start 0:05:08.430 --> 0:05:10.980 of the war. And while there's been a general sense 0:05:10.980 --> 0:05:13.680 of unity during the struggle, that unity is going to 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:17.520 evaporate once the war is over. So politically, it's possible 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:20.580 that Netanyahu will be forced to dissolve the government and 0:05:20.580 --> 0:05:24.380 hold new elections within a relatively short period of time. 0:05:24.390 --> 0:05:27.090 New elections would serve as a referendum on whether or 0:05:27.089 --> 0:05:30.780 not Netanyahu and his coalition were responsible for Israel being 0:05:30.779 --> 0:05:34.469 unprepared before the conflict, and on how well they guided 0:05:34.470 --> 0:05:38.310 the nation through the conflict. Two political questions will need 0:05:38.310 --> 0:05:41.460 to be answered. First, will Netanyahu remain head of the 0:05:41.460 --> 0:05:45.450 Likud party? And then second, can Likud remain the dominant 0:05:45.450 --> 0:05:48.630 party in any new government? Now it's at least possible 0:05:48.630 --> 0:05:51.750 that Netanyahu could choose to step aside to help the 0:05:51.750 --> 0:05:55.890 more centrist parties form a broad coalition without the parties 0:05:55.890 --> 0:05:59.820 from the extreme right or left. So don't be surprised 0:05:59.820 --> 0:06:03.900 if 2024 brings new elections to Israel and possibly a 0:06:03.900 --> 0:06:06.719 new prime minister. But as I've said many times before 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:10.859 on this program, never rushed to count Netanyahu out. He's 0:06:10.860 --> 0:06:14.520 demonstrated time and time again he's a political survivor. 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:17.640 Well, one key area impacted by the war, of course, 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:21.570 has been tourism. Does Israel have any idea how soon 0:06:21.570 --> 0:06:23.400 tourism might bounce back? 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:25.979 Well, I listen to a discussion with some individuals in 0:06:25.980 --> 0:06:29.160 the tourism industry this past week. In the end, the 0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:31.589 head of the tour agency was asked his thoughts on 0:06:31.589 --> 0:06:35.040 the timing and he said, we lost Hanukkah and Christmas, 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:39.450 but we'll have Passover and Easter, meaning he expected tourism 0:06:39.450 --> 0:06:42.510 to bounce back by mid to late March. The response 0:06:42.510 --> 0:06:45.300 from the host was so typically Jewish, he said. From 0:06:45.300 --> 0:06:48.810 your lips to God's ears, meaning we hope God agrees 0:06:48.810 --> 0:06:52.020 with your assessment. The one positive that came out of 0:06:52.020 --> 0:06:56.039 the discussion was Israel's resilience, both as individuals and as 0:06:56.040 --> 0:06:58.349 a nation. You know, they don't know when the war 0:06:58.350 --> 0:07:00.750 will be over. They don't know what Hezbollah is going 0:07:00.750 --> 0:07:03.630 to do, but they believe the country and tourism will 0:07:03.630 --> 0:07:08.729 bounce back relatively quickly once peace returns. The three crucial elements, though, 0:07:08.730 --> 0:07:13.650 right now are Hezbollah, transportation and hotels. Hamas is being 0:07:13.650 --> 0:07:16.920 downgraded as a fighting force, but Hezbollah still remains to 0:07:16.920 --> 0:07:20.550 the north. And until the world knows what Hezbollah's intentions are, 0:07:20.550 --> 0:07:25.260 Israel will remain on war footing. Transportation is the second element. 0:07:25.290 --> 0:07:28.740 Tourism won't come back until the airlines start flying again. 0:07:28.740 --> 0:07:31.440 And right now, all the major airlines, with the exception 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.410 of El Al, aren't flying their watch to see when 0:07:34.410 --> 0:07:38.400 the first airline announces that it's resuming flights that will 0:07:38.400 --> 0:07:41.370 signal the start of a return to normalcy. And then 0:07:41.370 --> 0:07:44.280 the third element is hotels. Right now, many are being 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:46.830 used to house those displaced by the war, both in 0:07:46.830 --> 0:07:49.920 the south and up in the north. Regular amenities were 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:52.590 cut back and a significant number of hotel staff were 0:07:52.590 --> 0:07:55.980 were laid off or call back to military service. Once 0:07:55.980 --> 0:07:59.100 those now in the hotels return home, the hotels will 0:07:59.100 --> 0:08:01.530 need to be prepped and the staff rehired, and that 0:08:01.530 --> 0:08:04.050 might take a little while. But the larger chains will 0:08:04.050 --> 0:08:06.750 try to get their hotels up and running as rapidly 0:08:06.750 --> 0:08:10.350 as possible. 60% of the tourists who go to Israel 0:08:10.350 --> 0:08:15.000 do so for religious reasons, and there were 130,000 tourists 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:18.210 in Israel the morning of October 7th. Right now, that 0:08:18.210 --> 0:08:20.880 number is about 18,000, and most of those are Jewish 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:24.390 individuals who've gone to Israel to support family or friends. 0:08:24.390 --> 0:08:28.530 That's an 86% drop in tourism. Tourism small, but it's 0:08:28.530 --> 0:08:31.800 a significant part of Israel's economy. So they'll push to 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:34.199 get it up and running to bring back jobs and income. 0:08:34.200 --> 0:08:37.890 And hopefully this coming spring, we'll see Robins returning up 0:08:37.890 --> 0:08:40.530 here in the north in the US and tourists starting 0:08:40.530 --> 0:08:42.059 to flock back to Israel. 0:08:42.059 --> 0:08:44.490 I love it. Thank you Charlie. Well, moving away from 0:08:44.490 --> 0:08:49.229 events surrounding the war to advances in archaeology, researchers opened 0:08:49.230 --> 0:08:52.829 up a new avenue of study for archaeologists by successfully 0:08:52.830 --> 0:08:57.210 extracting DNA out of a 2900 year old brick from 0:08:57.210 --> 0:08:59.700 ancient Assyria. How were they able to do this? And 0:08:59.700 --> 0:09:02.550 what did they discover, and how might it be used 0:09:02.550 --> 0:09:03.809 at other sites? 0:09:03.809 --> 0:09:06.839 Yeah, this is fascinating to me. Researchers took this mud 0:09:06.840 --> 0:09:10.140 brick from a palace in northern Iraq. It was built 0:09:10.140 --> 0:09:13.980 by Assyrian king Ashur Nasr Paul the Second. His name 0:09:13.980 --> 0:09:16.140 was stamped on the brick. So they know actually the 0:09:16.140 --> 0:09:20.040 time of his reign. He was from 879 to 869 BC. 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:22.410 So they can date this brick to within a ten 0:09:22.410 --> 0:09:26.189 year period, the researchers inserted a probe into the inner 0:09:26.190 --> 0:09:29.580 core of the brick and extracted a DNA sample from 0:09:29.580 --> 0:09:32.939 an area that hadn't been contaminated over over the last 0:09:32.940 --> 0:09:36.990 2800 years. From that sample, they were able to identify 0:09:36.990 --> 0:09:42.570 34 distinct groups of plants, including cabbage, heather, birch, laurel, 0:09:42.570 --> 0:09:47.309 and different cultivated grasses. They then compared those findings with 0:09:47.309 --> 0:09:50.610 modern day botanical records from Iraq, as well as ancient 0:09:50.610 --> 0:09:54.300 Assyrian plant descriptions. They wanted to see what had changed. 0:09:54.330 --> 0:09:57.540 The results served as a biodiversity time capsule on the 0:09:57.540 --> 0:10:01.349 site and its surroundings, and provide another avenue of insight 0:10:01.350 --> 0:10:05.579 into ancient Assyrian culture. The researchers believe this could become a. 0:10:05.679 --> 0:10:09.610 Valuable tool to provide a better understanding of ancient civilizations 0:10:09.610 --> 0:10:13.960 and to evaluate the extent of biodiversity change over the centuries. 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:16.359 And to think, John, all of that from the inner 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:18.700 core of an ancient mud brick. 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:23.260 Who knew? Well, a fascinating program today, including a conversation 0:10:23.260 --> 0:10:27.550 coming up regarding 40 days through revelation, Ron Rhodes shares 0:10:27.550 --> 0:10:30.340 how Jesus and hope and blessing are at the center 0:10:30.340 --> 0:10:33.670 of that book, so you'll love that conversation. Plus, we've 0:10:33.670 --> 0:10:37.449 got Bible questions and Charlie's answers and his devotional kind 0:10:37.450 --> 0:10:39.790 of worth sticking around for, I think. And it's also 0:10:39.790 --> 0:10:41.559 worth sharing with a friend. Let them know where they 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:44.590 can listen to our podcast. It's right there at the website, 0:10:44.590 --> 0:10:48.670 The Land and the book.org. We're back with more next. 0:11:02.350 --> 0:11:04.960 If you could sum up the Book of Revelations teaching 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:09.370 in just one word, what would you choose? Judgment. Violence 0:11:09.429 --> 0:11:12.760 may be finale, but about the word blessing. Well, that's 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:15.340 the thought that captures Ron Rhodes. Hey, coming up, a 0:11:15.340 --> 0:11:19.270 look at 40 days through revelation. Welcome to segment two 0:11:19.270 --> 0:11:22.150 here on the land and the book. I'm John Geiger. 0:11:22.150 --> 0:11:25.000 And just before we take a peek at future events, 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:27.790 let's think about how we could impact the present by 0:11:27.790 --> 0:11:31.059 sharing the love of Christ with a Jewish friend. We 0:11:31.059 --> 0:11:33.429 are by nature curious. We want to know what's on 0:11:33.429 --> 0:11:36.490 the other side of this life. Can you ask your 0:11:36.490 --> 0:11:38.710 Jewish friend, though, what they think, and how do you 0:11:38.710 --> 0:11:42.490 steer that toward Jesus? Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries. 0:11:42.490 --> 0:11:44.559 How would you conduct that conversation, Roy? 0:11:44.590 --> 0:11:46.630 Well, I wouldn't go right away to Jesus. I would 0:11:46.630 --> 0:11:49.150 just go to Moses. And I'd say that Moses said, 0:11:49.150 --> 0:11:53.199 there's two ways to find life, either following and obeying 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:58.030 God or going our own way. And so when we 0:11:58.030 --> 0:12:01.210 follow God and come to him and trust in him, 0:12:01.270 --> 0:12:04.330 he says, we will have life. God wants us to 0:12:04.330 --> 0:12:06.880 have life and to have it abundantly. That's why God 0:12:06.880 --> 0:12:11.440 gave the law. It pointed to the way, the truth, 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:15.640 and the life. And so in the law it portrays 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:19.630 a way that leads to life. Now, as a Christian, 0:12:19.630 --> 0:12:22.660 I understand that there's no way I can keep the law. 0:12:22.690 --> 0:12:26.320 It points to the Messiah, but the idea of the 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:30.130 Messiah is again, all in the Jewish scriptures. And I 0:12:30.130 --> 0:12:33.610 would not go into the New Testament until they're ready, 0:12:33.610 --> 0:12:35.290 until they're ready to receive it. What we have to 0:12:35.290 --> 0:12:39.760 do is share with Jewish people that apart from the 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:43.510 work of God, there is no salvation. Apart from I 0:12:43.510 --> 0:12:45.910 mean that that there is a way that leads to life. 0:12:45.910 --> 0:12:49.750 There is a way that brings life, and that God 0:12:49.750 --> 0:12:53.200 is the source of life and that he's given us life, 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:58.450 and that life points to him. He is the way, 0:12:58.450 --> 0:13:02.320 the truth, and the life. And then once they acknowledge 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:05.200 that God is the source of life, that he is 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:09.160 the way, the truth and the life, then you can eventually, 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:13.359 if they're ready to acknowledge God as that, then they 0:13:13.360 --> 0:13:17.020 could possibly understand that. That's why he sent the Messiah 0:13:17.020 --> 0:13:20.770 to model the way of God in person. 0:13:20.860 --> 0:13:26.340 Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries. Thanks for those insights. Dr. 0:13:26.340 --> 0:13:29.190 Ron Rhodes is the president of Reasoning from the scriptures, 0:13:29.190 --> 0:13:34.110 ministries and apologetics organization located in Texas. He received his 0:13:34.110 --> 0:13:39.300 master's and doctoral degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating with honors. 0:13:39.330 --> 0:13:41.939 Ron has written more than 60 books and is a 0:13:41.940 --> 0:13:46.040 keynote speaker at conferences across the United States and Canada, 0:13:46.050 --> 0:13:48.300 and as time permits, he also teaches at a number 0:13:48.300 --> 0:13:52.500 of seminaries, including Dallas Theological Seminary and others. He's been 0:13:52.500 --> 0:13:56.319 a guest on many national and regional radio and television programs. 0:13:56.340 --> 0:13:59.370 He and his wife, Carrie, reside in Texas. Hey, welcome 0:13:59.370 --> 0:14:01.410 back to the land and the book run. 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.050 Thank you so much. It's great to be with you today. 0:14:04.110 --> 0:14:05.790 You know, Ron, I think a lot of listeners might 0:14:05.790 --> 0:14:09.810 be scratching their heads right now. They think about, you know, revelation, 0:14:09.809 --> 0:14:17.130 and they're imaging in their minds bowls of judgment, smoke, fire, war, death, judgment. 0:14:17.130 --> 0:14:20.830 But you say that revelation should also point us to blessing. 0:14:20.850 --> 0:14:21.930 Elaborate on that. 0:14:22.290 --> 0:14:25.050 Well, the Book of Revelation is the only book in 0:14:25.050 --> 0:14:29.250 the Bible that promises a special blessing to those who 0:14:29.250 --> 0:14:34.260 read it and obey its message seven different times. Now, 0:14:34.260 --> 0:14:36.720 I don't know about you, but I want that blessing. 0:14:37.230 --> 0:14:40.050 I think that part of the blessing may relate to 0:14:40.050 --> 0:14:42.360 the fact that as you get to the last chapter, 0:14:42.480 --> 0:14:46.350 we win. This book was actually written towards people who 0:14:46.350 --> 0:14:50.850 were being persecuted, and it was intended to bring comfort 0:14:50.850 --> 0:14:52.940 to them in their persecution. 0:14:52.950 --> 0:14:55.620 Well, okay. You know, and I want that blessing too, Ron, 0:14:55.830 --> 0:14:57.930 and I appreciate your pointing that out. It's those of 0:14:57.930 --> 0:15:01.830 us who read and heed this last book of our Bible. 0:15:01.830 --> 0:15:05.430 Why do so many of us, though, fail to connect 0:15:05.430 --> 0:15:08.520 a sense of blessing with the book of revelation? Ron. 0:15:08.970 --> 0:15:11.790 Well, it is true that there's a lot of judgment 0:15:11.790 --> 0:15:14.729 in the book, but you have to understand that in 0:15:14.730 --> 0:15:19.800 context that judgment is not for Christians, that judgment is 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:24.120 for unbelievers, people who reject Jesus. And the thing of 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.220 it is, when you read the end of the book, 0:15:26.220 --> 0:15:30.000 we end up in the New Jerusalem, which is in heaven. 0:15:30.450 --> 0:15:32.640 The way I like to tell it to people is 0:15:32.820 --> 0:15:35.910 we will have a resurrected body and live on a 0:15:35.910 --> 0:15:40.320 resurrected Earth in a brand new city called the New Jerusalem. 0:15:40.530 --> 0:15:43.830 Now that's good news. That's part of the blessing that's 0:15:43.830 --> 0:15:47.040 promised in the book of Revelation. And so the point 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:50.100 that I would make is this no matter what suffering 0:15:50.100 --> 0:15:54.330 you have in the present day, read the book of revelation, 0:15:54.330 --> 0:15:58.170 because it can bring the same comfort to you that 0:15:58.170 --> 0:16:02.090 it brought to the first century Christians who were being persecuted. 0:16:02.100 --> 0:16:05.730 That's great. So that's an encouragement, Ron. Ron Rhodes has 0:16:05.730 --> 0:16:08.400 written more than 60 books and is a keynote speaker 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:12.750 at conferences throughout the country, also teaches at seminaries, and 0:16:12.750 --> 0:16:16.410 so on. Ron, you've written the book 40 Days through revelation. 0:16:16.410 --> 0:16:19.770 What's different about this one from the many others out 0:16:19.770 --> 0:16:21.420 there on End Times events? 0:16:21.870 --> 0:16:25.080 Well, first of all, this is really easy to go through. 0:16:25.410 --> 0:16:27.900 My book takes the cookies and puts them on the 0:16:27.900 --> 0:16:31.950 bottom shelf, so to speak. I do that because I 0:16:31.950 --> 0:16:36.660 want people to understand the message. And so in each chapter, 0:16:36.660 --> 0:16:39.900 I not only explain what the text means, but I've 0:16:39.900 --> 0:16:42.840 got a number of extra sections that I add into 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:46.460 the chapter. For example, there's a section on major themes. 0:16:46.470 --> 0:16:50.880 So I summarize the big ideas in each section of scripture. 0:16:51.180 --> 0:16:54.900 I also provide life lessons. This is where you learn 0:16:54.900 --> 0:16:58.010 to apply what you have read in your daily life. 0:16:58.020 --> 0:17:01.260 And I tell you what, I can speak from experience 0:17:01.260 --> 0:17:03.510 in telling you that if you go through the book 0:17:03.510 --> 0:17:07.770 of Revelation to the very end, it will transform you. 0:17:08.070 --> 0:17:11.790 You cannot read through these life lessons and applications without 0:17:11.790 --> 0:17:13.110 your life being changed. 0:17:13.470 --> 0:17:16.530 So, Ron, walk us through some of the major themes 0:17:16.530 --> 0:17:20.090 of revelation, and maybe a couple that some of us overlook. 0:17:20.100 --> 0:17:22.110 What are the major themes? 0:17:22.590 --> 0:17:26.460 Well, interestingly, the Book of Revelation begins by talking about 0:17:26.460 --> 0:17:30.600 seven churches, and Jesus knows everything that is right in 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:36.000 those churches and everything that is wrong. And so Jesus 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:38.010 tells us to clean up our act on all the 0:17:38.010 --> 0:17:40.920 things that we've got wrong. But he commends us when 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:45.959 we've done something right. There's all kinds of application in 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:49.770 that text, and I would encourage all my listeners today 0:17:49.770 --> 0:17:51.720 to give it a shot. You're going to find all 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:54.840 kinds of life changing stuff there. And then beginning in 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:58.290 chapter four of revelation, it starts getting into prophecy. And 0:17:58.290 --> 0:18:02.340 in prophecy it deals with the tribulation period in chapters 0:18:02.340 --> 0:18:06.000 four through 18. And then we find the second coming 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:10.680 of Jesus in chapter 19. Then we find the Millennial Kingdom, 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:14.520 which is the thousand year rule of Christ. And that's 0:18:14.520 --> 0:18:18.360 in chapter 20. And then in chapters 21 and 22, 0:18:18.390 --> 0:18:22.680 we have the eternal state, and that means heaven for Christians. 0:18:23.010 --> 0:18:26.810 And so it's a pretty logical organization. And it goes 0:18:26.810 --> 0:18:30.140 from one prophecy to the next. Now there are some 0:18:30.140 --> 0:18:35.210 symbols in there, but typically the symbols are defined within 0:18:35.210 --> 0:18:36.619 the text of revelation. 0:18:36.650 --> 0:18:39.470 Well, Ron, you mentioned these symbols. I think many readers 0:18:39.470 --> 0:18:43.010 are afraid to jump into the book of revelation, figuring 0:18:43.010 --> 0:18:45.889 all of that imagery is simply way over their heads. 0:18:45.890 --> 0:18:48.949 No way to really grasp it. How would you counsel 0:18:48.950 --> 0:18:50.510 people who feel like that, Ron? 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:53.239 Well, I would say just to pay attention to the 0:18:53.240 --> 0:18:58.460 context of revelation. For example, we do read about incense 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:02.510 and then the scriptures define the incense as the prayer 0:19:02.510 --> 0:19:07.070 of believers. So the symbol is defined. We read about 0:19:07.070 --> 0:19:11.959 many waters, and the waters refers to the nations. That's 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:15.800 what revelation tells us. So the point that I'm making 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:19.250 is that every time you come across a symbol in revelation, 0:19:19.250 --> 0:19:24.170 it is typically defined for us, and each symbol contains 0:19:24.170 --> 0:19:27.140 a literal truth. Now, I must tell you that some 0:19:27.140 --> 0:19:30.320 of those symbols are found in the Old Testament. You know, 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:33.440 for example, Jesus is called the Lamb of God in 0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:37.340 the book of Revelation. Well, what does that mean? Well, 0:19:37.340 --> 0:19:39.620 there's a lot of other verses, both in the New 0:19:39.619 --> 0:19:43.520 Testament and the Old Testament that shed light on that. 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:47.270 And so, just as that's true of the Lamb of God, 0:19:47.270 --> 0:19:49.699 it's true of all the other prophetic topics. 0:19:49.970 --> 0:19:53.090 Dr. Ron Rhodes is the president of reasoning from the scriptures, 0:19:53.090 --> 0:19:58.429 ministries and apologetics organization located in Texas, and he received 0:19:58.430 --> 0:20:01.909 his master's and doctoral degrees from the Dallas Theological Seminary, 0:20:01.910 --> 0:20:05.750 graduating with honors, I might add. Well, what do you 0:20:05.750 --> 0:20:08.270 see as some key life lessons, Ron, that we should 0:20:08.270 --> 0:20:12.139 carry away from revelation? What are the themes that stir 0:20:12.140 --> 0:20:13.110 you in particular? 0:20:13.130 --> 0:20:15.199 Well, I think in particular, we need to have an 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:21.440 eternal perspective. Life can be hard. Life can throw us punches. 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:24.950 And because life can be hard, we need to have 0:20:24.950 --> 0:20:28.400 a perspective that looks beyond the problems that we have 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:32.570 to our ultimate destiny. You know, Scripture never says that 0:20:32.570 --> 0:20:35.179 we're going to have it easy once we become Christians. 0:20:35.390 --> 0:20:38.450 In fact, it's just the opposite. I think the thing 0:20:38.450 --> 0:20:42.440 of it is that eternal perspective gives us strength in 0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:46.490 the present. I would also say this the Book of 0:20:46.490 --> 0:20:50.630 Revelation emphasizes that God is our creator. And yet, one 0:20:50.630 --> 0:20:52.850 of the things I think that is lacking among so 0:20:52.850 --> 0:20:58.910 many today is what I call creaturely respect. You know, 0:20:58.910 --> 0:21:01.910 God made us, therefore we ought to listen to him, 0:21:02.090 --> 0:21:05.120 and we really ought to obey him. You know, that's 0:21:05.119 --> 0:21:07.790 one of the things that comes across loud and clear 0:21:07.910 --> 0:21:10.609 in the book of revelation. And so I want to 0:21:10.609 --> 0:21:13.340 be one of those Christians who doesn't just talk the talk, 0:21:13.340 --> 0:21:15.439 but I want to walk the walk, to put it 0:21:15.440 --> 0:21:18.649 in the popular vernacular. Yeah. It might surprise listeners to 0:21:18.650 --> 0:21:22.700 know that the book of revelation in different words, emphasizes 0:21:22.700 --> 0:21:23.690 that same truth. 0:21:24.080 --> 0:21:26.960 You know, it feels to me like there's an uptick 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:29.840 in the interest level with regard to the book of 0:21:29.840 --> 0:21:34.190 revelation these days. Anecdotally, I see, you know, more people 0:21:34.190 --> 0:21:37.250 looking at it, studying it, books coming out. Do you 0:21:37.250 --> 0:21:39.680 share that impression, and if so, how do you account 0:21:39.680 --> 0:21:40.190 for it? 0:21:40.490 --> 0:21:43.429 I think that there is increased interest in this topic, 0:21:43.790 --> 0:21:46.310 no question about it. In fact, I've talked to a 0:21:46.310 --> 0:21:49.730 number of different authors on on prophecy books, and all 0:21:49.730 --> 0:21:54.050 of their books are increased in terms of sales. And, 0:21:54.050 --> 0:21:57.560 you know, that just shows interest that people have as well. 0:21:57.560 --> 0:22:00.679 The volume of mail that is coming in with people 0:22:00.680 --> 0:22:04.430 having questions. Even when you look at the secular media, 0:22:04.430 --> 0:22:07.369 the secular media is talking about how many people believe 0:22:07.369 --> 0:22:09.590 that all of this that's taking place in our world 0:22:09.590 --> 0:22:14.000 today is an indication of the end times. And so 0:22:14.000 --> 0:22:16.459 I think it's very, very relevant. And one of the 0:22:16.460 --> 0:22:19.010 things a lot of people don't recognize is that when 0:22:19.010 --> 0:22:22.010 the Bible was written over, one fourth of it was 0:22:22.010 --> 0:22:25.280 prophetic when it was written. That's a lot of the Bible. 0:22:25.730 --> 0:22:27.560 So you don't want to be one of those people 0:22:27.560 --> 0:22:29.330 that ignores Bible prophecy. 0:22:29.630 --> 0:22:32.990 What would you say is the greatest warning for believers? 0:22:32.990 --> 0:22:36.650 Not non-believers, but believers in the book of revelation? What 0:22:36.650 --> 0:22:37.640 would that be, do you think? 0:22:38.330 --> 0:22:41.030 I think that today one of the greatest warnings I 0:22:41.030 --> 0:22:46.070 would bring is the sin of partial obedience. I know 0:22:46.070 --> 0:22:49.850 all kinds of Christians who obey God in some areas, 0:22:49.850 --> 0:22:53.120 but not in all areas. And so it's time for 0:22:53.119 --> 0:22:56.899 us to examine our lives and to make any necessary 0:22:56.900 --> 0:23:00.050 changes right now. And one of the reasons I say 0:23:00.050 --> 0:23:02.929 that is we don't know when the rapture of the 0:23:02.930 --> 0:23:05.510 church will happen, right? I don't want to be in 0:23:05.510 --> 0:23:08.660 the middle of some bad sin when Christ shows up, 0:23:08.660 --> 0:23:11.240 if you know what I mean. Right? So it's a 0:23:11.240 --> 0:23:14.480 very important thing, and every Christian should take it to heart. 0:23:14.869 --> 0:23:17.090 If there's a second warning, what do you think that 0:23:17.090 --> 0:23:18.470 might be for believers? 0:23:19.280 --> 0:23:23.060 A second warning might be the fact that too many 0:23:23.060 --> 0:23:26.080 Christians have not shown the kind of love. Of toward 0:23:26.080 --> 0:23:29.800 Christ and toward others that they should. This is illustrated 0:23:29.800 --> 0:23:33.460 in the church at Ephesus. Today, it seems like so 0:23:33.460 --> 0:23:37.620 many churches focused mostly on doctrine and doctrine is good. 0:23:37.630 --> 0:23:40.960 We need to have that. But where is that heartfelt 0:23:40.960 --> 0:23:45.040 passion for God? It's not just a matter of the head, 0:23:45.040 --> 0:23:48.100 it's also a matter of the heart. We need to 0:23:48.100 --> 0:23:51.760 have that heart love for God that shows itself in 0:23:51.760 --> 0:23:54.730 the way that we live. So when Christ was talking 0:23:54.730 --> 0:23:58.240 to the Christians at Ephesus, he said, you guys used 0:23:58.240 --> 0:24:01.840 to love me, but now that's waned. Here we are 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:05.410 60 years later and all that love has waned, even 0:24:05.410 --> 0:24:09.909 though you're doctrinally correct. So Jesus was telling them, yes, 0:24:09.910 --> 0:24:13.840 stay strong on the doctrine, but increase your love. And 0:24:13.840 --> 0:24:15.970 so I think that that's something that the modern church 0:24:15.970 --> 0:24:17.650 can learn as well. Yeah. 0:24:18.160 --> 0:24:21.369 Well, what about warnings for non-believers? I think of revelation 0:24:21.369 --> 0:24:24.370 2015 right off the bat, you know, whosoever his name 0:24:24.369 --> 0:24:27.190 was not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life 0:24:27.190 --> 0:24:29.770 was cast into the lake of fire. It doesn't get 0:24:29.770 --> 0:24:31.480 any more sobering than that, Ron. 0:24:32.109 --> 0:24:35.350 Well, that's true, and a tempering truth would be the 0:24:35.350 --> 0:24:38.199 fact that even though the tribulation period is going to 0:24:38.200 --> 0:24:40.929 be horrible, you know, there's going to be the darkest 0:24:40.930 --> 0:24:45.070 period in human history. Nevertheless, God is going to send 0:24:45.070 --> 0:24:49.510 his witnesses to share the gospel. I'm talking about, for example, 0:24:49.510 --> 0:24:54.730 the 144,000 Jewish witnesses in revelation seven, and then God's 0:24:54.730 --> 0:24:58.000 going to send two mighty prophets in revelation 11, and 0:24:58.000 --> 0:25:00.369 they're going to bear witness to the truth, and they 0:25:00.369 --> 0:25:02.770 will make such an impact that there's going to be 0:25:02.770 --> 0:25:06.100 a great multitude of believers. And so the point is 0:25:06.100 --> 0:25:10.659 this even though there are many unbelievers today, you still 0:25:10.660 --> 0:25:14.290 got the opportunity, even during the tribulation period, to turn 0:25:14.290 --> 0:25:18.220 your life over to Christ. And I just love that fact. 0:25:18.400 --> 0:25:22.930 In the darkest period of history, Christ's light will still shine. 0:25:23.320 --> 0:25:26.530 And that's a great place to land. This conversation. We're 0:25:26.530 --> 0:25:30.159 talking today with Ron Rhodes, who's written 40 days through revelation. 0:25:30.160 --> 0:25:32.770 There's a link to that book, a link to his 0:25:32.770 --> 0:25:35.740 website as well, when you visit us at the land 0:25:35.740 --> 0:25:40.449 and the book org, the land and the book. Org Ron, 0:25:40.450 --> 0:25:42.160 we'd love to have you come back sometime and talk 0:25:42.160 --> 0:25:45.610 about the end times in chronological order. Will you do that? 0:25:45.859 --> 0:25:47.460 I will do it. All right. 0:25:47.470 --> 0:25:50.290 We'll enjoy that as well. Right now, though, a visit 0:25:50.290 --> 0:25:53.560 with Charlie Dyer. Coming up, your Bible questions his answers 0:25:53.560 --> 0:26:07.410 here on the land and the book. It's always good 0:26:07.410 --> 0:26:09.180 to connect with you here at The land. In the book, 0:26:09.180 --> 0:26:11.610 I'm John Geiger with our host, Charlie Dyer. I think 0:26:11.609 --> 0:26:14.640 you're going to love What's Up next? It's our Q&A segment. 0:26:14.640 --> 0:26:18.990 Questions and answers, not our questions. Yours. Your questions. As 0:26:18.990 --> 0:26:21.780 you peruse through Scripture and encounter things that kind of 0:26:21.780 --> 0:26:23.369 make you scratch your head, what do you do with 0:26:23.369 --> 0:26:26.160 those questions? We recommend you send us an email at 0:26:26.160 --> 0:26:29.790 The Land and the Book at Moody Edu and let 0:26:29.790 --> 0:26:33.060 Charlie take a look. Well, Charlie Israel has been on 0:26:33.060 --> 0:26:35.489 all of our minds these past months. Many of us 0:26:35.490 --> 0:26:38.310 have been struggling with questions of what to think and feel. 0:26:38.310 --> 0:26:40.500 And in the midst of all this, God's heart for 0:26:40.500 --> 0:26:44.580 the Jewish people remains unchanged. He is faithful to his 0:26:44.580 --> 0:26:45.540 chosen people. 0:26:45.540 --> 0:26:47.879 And that's why, as this year is drawing to a close, 0:26:47.880 --> 0:26:50.369 our friends at Life in Messiah would like to help 0:26:50.369 --> 0:26:54.210 you better connect with this crucial aspect of God's character. 0:26:54.210 --> 0:26:57.689 They're offering their new book, Sharing God's Heart to the 0:26:57.690 --> 0:27:01.230 land and the book listeners. This 30 day guided reflection 0:27:01.230 --> 0:27:04.740 will help connect you with God's heart for his precious people. 0:27:04.740 --> 0:27:08.610 The articles written by Life and Messiah staff provide insight 0:27:08.609 --> 0:27:11.670 into Jewish life and culture. They can help prepare you 0:27:11.670 --> 0:27:14.490 to share with your friends the peace of Messiah they 0:27:14.490 --> 0:27:17.040 so desperately need. If you would like one of these 0:27:17.040 --> 0:27:20.160 insightful books for yourself or as a gift for someone else, 0:27:20.160 --> 0:27:23.730 visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody 0:27:23.730 --> 0:27:26.790 Radio button to find out how you can receive your copy. 0:27:26.790 --> 0:27:29.640 That's life in messiah.org. 0:27:29.850 --> 0:27:32.460 All right. We'll start with our first question today from John. 0:27:32.460 --> 0:27:34.740 He says, as the name of your program indicates, the 0:27:34.740 --> 0:27:37.379 land and the book, you have a great love for 0:27:37.380 --> 0:27:39.600 the people of Israel. I'd like to know your view 0:27:39.600 --> 0:27:43.199 of covenant or Reformed theology. Do you believe that viewing 0:27:43.200 --> 0:27:46.109 the Scripture in this way is detrimental to the support 0:27:46.109 --> 0:27:47.520 of God's chosen people? 0:27:47.670 --> 0:27:49.350 Okay, I got to start by saying I'm not a 0:27:49.350 --> 0:27:52.169 covenant theologian, and I'm not reformed in the sense that 0:27:52.170 --> 0:27:55.139 I don't hold to all five of those traditional tulip 0:27:55.140 --> 0:27:59.580 points of reform theology, like limited atonement or unconditional election. 0:27:59.580 --> 0:28:02.640 But I do know individuals who identify themselves as covenant 0:28:02.640 --> 0:28:06.690 theologians and five point Calvinists, but who nevertheless still support 0:28:06.690 --> 0:28:09.270 Israel and the Jewish people and who see a future 0:28:09.270 --> 0:28:12.689 for Israel. So let me answer in a slightly different way. 0:28:12.690 --> 0:28:15.929 I personally see the issue being how one approaches the 0:28:15.930 --> 0:28:19.530 prophetic portions of God's Word when taken literally or at 0:28:19.530 --> 0:28:22.080 face value, as I do, it's clear that the Bible 0:28:22.080 --> 0:28:26.250 pictures a future earthly messianic kingdom for Israel. The covenant 0:28:26.250 --> 0:28:29.160 God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants 0:28:29.160 --> 0:28:31.619 is still in effect, and it will be fulfilled at 0:28:31.619 --> 0:28:34.860 the second coming of Christ. Those who hold the replacement 0:28:34.859 --> 0:28:38.850 theology believe those promises have been all transferred from Israel 0:28:38.850 --> 0:28:41.670 to the church, and will be fulfilled in a spiritual 0:28:41.670 --> 0:28:45.660 rather than a literal sense. And practically, that's often resulted 0:28:45.660 --> 0:28:48.750 in a rise in antisemitism. The one passage in the 0:28:48.750 --> 0:28:52.560 New Testament that directly speaks to the relationship between Israel 0:28:52.560 --> 0:28:55.860 and the church is Romans 9 to 11. And there 0:28:55.860 --> 0:28:58.860 Paul makes it clear that God's promises to Israel remain 0:28:58.860 --> 0:29:02.580 in force because, as he says in 1128 to 29, 0:29:02.580 --> 0:29:06.060 Israel is, quote, loved on account of the patriarchs, for 0:29:06.060 --> 0:29:09.480 God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. In other words, 0:29:09.480 --> 0:29:12.330 Paul is saying that Israel has a future because God 0:29:12.330 --> 0:29:16.830 made specific, unconditional promises to the patriarchs and to Israel, 0:29:16.830 --> 0:29:20.489 and God never reneges on his promises. So while I 0:29:20.490 --> 0:29:24.120 disagree theologically with those who hold the covenant and reform theology, 0:29:24.120 --> 0:29:26.280 I believe the main issue when it comes to support 0:29:26.280 --> 0:29:29.370 for Israel is whether or not someone holds to replacement 0:29:29.370 --> 0:29:32.520 theology those who believe the church has replaced Israel as 0:29:32.520 --> 0:29:35.520 the people of God and who see God's promises to Israel, 0:29:35.520 --> 0:29:38.340 you know, now being fulfilled spiritually in the church, they're 0:29:38.370 --> 0:29:41.010 the ones less likely to support Israel or to view 0:29:41.010 --> 0:29:42.720 them as God's chosen people. 0:29:42.960 --> 0:29:46.080 And says, thank you for your program. And I should 0:29:46.080 --> 0:29:49.410 point out, you guys tend to talk rather quickly. Charlie, 0:29:49.410 --> 0:29:52.050 my wife says that to me all the time. And 0:29:52.050 --> 0:29:54.450 she's she's asking, you know, in light of that, you know, 0:29:54.450 --> 0:29:55.980 is there a book out there that might have more 0:29:55.980 --> 0:29:59.040 facts about the type of questions that people ask? 0:29:59.040 --> 0:30:01.770 Well, you know, John, I confess I speak quickly. I 0:30:01.770 --> 0:30:04.530 grew up in northeastern PA and on the East Coast, 0:30:04.530 --> 0:30:07.200 and I've just never been able to break that habit. 0:30:07.440 --> 0:30:09.660 But now, answering the question, here are some books I 0:30:09.660 --> 0:30:12.210 found helpful for people who want to know just how 0:30:12.210 --> 0:30:14.760 to answer Bible questions. Some are old, but you can 0:30:14.760 --> 0:30:18.750 find them online. The first is alleged discrepancies of the 0:30:18.750 --> 0:30:22.800 Bible by a fellow named John Haley Haley. It was 0:30:22.800 --> 0:30:27.030 published first back in 1874, but it's still a good source. 0:30:27.030 --> 0:30:30.660 The second book is Bible Questions Answered, and that was 0:30:30.660 --> 0:30:35.040 written by William Pettengill, and it actually first appeared in 1965. 0:30:35.040 --> 0:30:37.530 And the third book I found helpful is Evidence That 0:30:37.530 --> 0:30:41.040 Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell, and a revised edition 0:30:41.040 --> 0:30:44.730 of that was published in 2017. And all three of those, 0:30:44.730 --> 0:30:46.560 by the way, are available on Amazon. 0:30:46.860 --> 0:30:49.770 You're listening to The Land in the book from Moody Radio. 0:30:49.770 --> 0:30:52.680 Our host is Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. We are 0:30:52.680 --> 0:30:56.100 speaking just a bit slower in an attempt to make 0:30:56.100 --> 0:30:59.910 sure you get everything. Here's a question from Joan about baptism. 0:30:59.910 --> 0:31:02.370 Some people are saying it can only be done by 0:31:02.370 --> 0:31:05.920 complete immersion. She says I was baptized by sprinkling. When 0:31:05.920 --> 0:31:08.380 I was 18 months old. I don't remember it, but 0:31:08.380 --> 0:31:10.570 I know the Holy Spirit lives in me. God has 0:31:10.570 --> 0:31:13.360 blessed me over and over during my life. My pastor 0:31:13.360 --> 0:31:16.420 says God does the baptizing, so whichever way we do, 0:31:16.420 --> 0:31:19.150 it is not better one way or the other. I 0:31:19.150 --> 0:31:21.810 can only speak from my experience, your perspective. 0:31:21.820 --> 0:31:24.240 Well, and give a little bit of historical background here. 0:31:24.250 --> 0:31:26.560 When I was born, my parents had me baptized in 0:31:26.560 --> 0:31:28.780 the church where my mom grew up. It was a 0:31:28.780 --> 0:31:31.510 church that practiced infant baptism, so I was baptized as 0:31:31.510 --> 0:31:34.990 a child. Later, as I grew up, I wrestled with 0:31:34.990 --> 0:31:37.960 should I, as a believer be baptized? And for several 0:31:37.960 --> 0:31:41.470 years I resisted because of that infant baptism experience and 0:31:41.470 --> 0:31:43.570 the verse that changed my mind. This is crazy. It's 0:31:43.570 --> 0:31:47.860 first Corinthians one, verses 14 to 17, and there Paul writes, 0:31:47.860 --> 0:31:50.350 I'm thankful that I did not baptize any of you. 0:31:50.350 --> 0:31:52.210 And he goes on, though, and mentions a few he 0:31:52.210 --> 0:31:55.210 had baptized and explains why. And he says, Christ didn't 0:31:55.210 --> 0:31:57.850 send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Now 0:31:57.850 --> 0:32:00.670 here's why those verses help me. My reluctance to be 0:32:00.670 --> 0:32:03.730 baptized was caused in part by my resistance to some 0:32:03.730 --> 0:32:07.120 who saw baptism as necessary for salvation, and I also 0:32:07.120 --> 0:32:09.520 struggled with people who saw baptism as something like an 0:32:09.520 --> 0:32:13.660 initiation ritual for joining the church. I resonated with Paul's 0:32:13.660 --> 0:32:16.120 words that Jesus hadn't sent him to baptize but to 0:32:16.120 --> 0:32:18.520 preach the gospel. But then I also noticed that he 0:32:18.520 --> 0:32:22.030 did baptize some who came to faith. Anyway, that helped 0:32:22.030 --> 0:32:25.870 me understand baptism. It's not a requirement for salvation. It's 0:32:25.870 --> 0:32:28.239 a public way to identify with the death, burial, and 0:32:28.240 --> 0:32:31.780 resurrection of Jesus and to demonstrate a desire to follow him. 0:32:31.780 --> 0:32:34.750 And that's what finally got me baptized. Now, in terms 0:32:34.750 --> 0:32:37.660 of the mode of baptism, I'm less dogmatic here. I 0:32:37.660 --> 0:32:40.480 was baptized by immersion in a swimming pool, but I've 0:32:40.480 --> 0:32:43.270 been in services where people are baptized by sprinkling water 0:32:43.270 --> 0:32:46.150 on their heads or pouring water over their heads, and 0:32:46.150 --> 0:32:48.969 sometimes it's done for health reasons. Other times it's the 0:32:48.970 --> 0:32:51.370 preference of the church or the pastor. And to me, 0:32:51.370 --> 0:32:55.090 the decision to identify publicly with Jesus is more important 0:32:55.090 --> 0:32:57.520 than a specific mode. So what I'd encourage you to 0:32:57.520 --> 0:33:00.730 do study for yourself what the Bible says about baptism, 0:33:00.730 --> 0:33:03.730 and then do what you personally believe is most honoring 0:33:03.730 --> 0:33:04.510 to the Lord. 0:33:04.510 --> 0:33:06.880 George writes, there are many verses in the Bible that 0:33:06.880 --> 0:33:09.730 tell us to seek after God, such as Jeremiah 29, 0:33:09.730 --> 0:33:12.910 verse 13 also that we're to draw near to him, 0:33:12.910 --> 0:33:15.640 as in James four verse eight, and he will reveal 0:33:15.640 --> 0:33:18.460 himself to us. However, we're told in Romans three verse 0:33:18.460 --> 0:33:21.459 11 that no one seeks after God, and that only 0:33:21.460 --> 0:33:24.850 God can draw us to himself. John 644. So how 0:33:24.850 --> 0:33:27.580 do we bring all these verses into agreement? 0:33:28.120 --> 0:33:30.850 I got an answer two ways. First, Romans three is 0:33:30.850 --> 0:33:34.930 where Paul's quoting several Old Testament passages to prove his assertion. 0:33:34.930 --> 0:33:37.480 He made in three nine that Jews and Gentiles alike 0:33:37.480 --> 0:33:39.610 are all under sin. So it's a summary of an 0:33:39.610 --> 0:33:42.969 argument he's been constructing since chapter one. I then see 0:33:42.970 --> 0:33:46.390 his conclusion in verses 20 to 24 of chapter three. 0:33:46.390 --> 0:33:49.300 There's nothing we can do to be declared righteous. However, 0:33:49.300 --> 0:33:52.270 there's a righteousness that comes to us from God through faith. 0:33:52.270 --> 0:33:55.210 Now second, I see the other verses calling on us 0:33:55.210 --> 0:33:58.060 to draw near to God as being addressed to those 0:33:58.060 --> 0:34:00.760 who have been justified by faith and who now possess 0:34:00.760 --> 0:34:03.250 the indwelling Holy Spirit. In fact, a good verse for 0:34:03.250 --> 0:34:06.970 me is Philippians 212 to 13. That passage is where 0:34:06.970 --> 0:34:09.970 Paul calls on believers in Philippi to quote, work out 0:34:09.969 --> 0:34:12.700 your own salvation with fear and trembling. That is, he's 0:34:12.700 --> 0:34:15.100 calling on them to actively work to make their position 0:34:15.100 --> 0:34:18.190 in Christ a reality that's very similar to that. Draw 0:34:18.190 --> 0:34:20.020 near to God and he'll draw near to you. Verse 0:34:20.020 --> 0:34:22.660 you mentioned elsewhere. But in the very next verse Paul 0:34:22.660 --> 0:34:25.330 tells how this can happen. He says, For it's God 0:34:25.330 --> 0:34:27.190 who's at work in you both to will and work 0:34:27.190 --> 0:34:29.799 for his good pleasure, so Paul can call on us 0:34:29.800 --> 0:34:32.650 to do our part, because God is already at work 0:34:32.650 --> 0:34:36.670 inside his followers, providing both the desire and the enablement 0:34:36.670 --> 0:34:38.080 to accomplish his will. 0:34:38.080 --> 0:34:40.690 It's the land and the book from Moody Radio. Our host, 0:34:40.690 --> 0:34:43.390 Charlie Dyer, is answering questions that have come to us 0:34:43.390 --> 0:34:47.770 via email. Christine takes us to John two verse four, 0:34:47.770 --> 0:34:49.960 where Jesus is speaking to his mother at the wedding 0:34:49.960 --> 0:34:54.129 of Cana, and she doesn't understand the phrase where Jesus says, 0:34:54.130 --> 0:34:57.190 what to me and to you? Oh, woman. Jesus mother 0:34:57.190 --> 0:34:59.799 obviously knew that Jesus is going to help because she 0:34:59.800 --> 0:35:02.170 told the servants, whatever he tells you to do, do it. 0:35:02.170 --> 0:35:04.120 So can you help me understand the passage? 0:35:04.120 --> 0:35:06.610 Yeah, and there's several items in that short little account 0:35:06.610 --> 0:35:09.520 that need explanation. The first is when Jesus addressed his 0:35:09.520 --> 0:35:12.610 mother as woman. That seems harsh to us, almost rude, 0:35:12.610 --> 0:35:15.220 but it's not an insult. It was a polite, though 0:35:15.219 --> 0:35:18.280 not necessarily intimate way of addressing a woman. You know, 0:35:18.280 --> 0:35:20.710 Jesus used that to talk to the woman at the well. 0:35:20.710 --> 0:35:23.500 Later in John four, he used it again to connect 0:35:23.500 --> 0:35:25.600 his mother with the Apostle John while he's on the 0:35:25.600 --> 0:35:29.110 cross in John 19 and in John 20, the angels 0:35:29.110 --> 0:35:31.750 at the empty tomb used it to address Mary Magdalene. 0:35:31.750 --> 0:35:34.600 And in that same chapter so did Jesus. So I 0:35:34.600 --> 0:35:37.450 believe the word interjects just a bit of separation between 0:35:37.450 --> 0:35:40.000 Jesus and His mother. Instead of being the child who 0:35:40.000 --> 0:35:43.600 was obedient to his parents. Like in Luke 251, Jesus 0:35:43.600 --> 0:35:45.400 is now the son who's submitting to the will of 0:35:45.400 --> 0:35:48.969 his heavenly father. So the literal phrase part what to 0:35:48.969 --> 0:35:52.180 me and to you was a relatively common phrase used 0:35:52.180 --> 0:35:55.359 to indicate a change in relationship. It's found in Mark 0:35:55.360 --> 0:35:57.970 chapter one, where the demons cried out, what do you 0:35:57.969 --> 0:36:01.870 want with us? It's also found in the Septuagint translation 0:36:01.870 --> 0:36:05.260 of judges chapter 11. Jephthah sent messengers to the king 0:36:05.260 --> 0:36:07.710 of the. And I asked, what's between you and me 0:36:07.710 --> 0:36:10.049 that you've come to fight me? And it's found a 0:36:10.050 --> 0:36:12.510 number of other places as well to put it all together. 0:36:12.540 --> 0:36:15.270 Jesus is addressing his mother in a polite but less 0:36:15.270 --> 0:36:17.009 intimate way to let her know there's a change in 0:36:17.010 --> 0:36:21.030 their relationship. She's asking him to do something dramatic, even miraculous, 0:36:21.030 --> 0:36:23.969 to save the honor of the wedding couple. But Jesus 0:36:23.969 --> 0:36:26.940 is saying, wait, my hour hasn't yet. Come now. Mary 0:36:26.940 --> 0:36:30.060 accepts what Jesus said, turns to the servants and simply says, 0:36:30.060 --> 0:36:34.290 whatever he says, do it. Jesus graciously answers his mother's request, 0:36:34.290 --> 0:36:36.810 but the miracle was only known to a select audience. 0:36:36.930 --> 0:36:39.540 It wasn't time yet for his miracles to show his power. 0:36:39.630 --> 0:36:42.240 Great insights. Thank you Charlie, and we're looking forward to 0:36:42.239 --> 0:36:45.779 your devotional. It's next here on the land and the book. 0:36:58.719 --> 0:37:00.700 Welcome back to the land in the book. It's our 0:37:00.700 --> 0:37:03.460 fourth and final segment. I'm John Geiger, our host, Dr. 0:37:03.460 --> 0:37:06.430 Charlie Dyer, about to deliver a devotional that I think 0:37:06.430 --> 0:37:10.810 you'll find encouraging from Proverbs chapter 26. It's titled answering 0:37:10.810 --> 0:37:13.930 a Fool. And I think to myself, you know, I'm 0:37:13.930 --> 0:37:16.359 sure there are times when I've been foolish, but how 0:37:16.360 --> 0:37:18.640 should we answer a fool? Is there a right way, 0:37:18.640 --> 0:37:20.770 a wrong way? And what are we to do with 0:37:20.770 --> 0:37:24.100 the apparent contradictions that we find in Proverbs chapter 26? 0:37:24.100 --> 0:37:27.460 That's all coming up here on the land of the book. First, though, 0:37:27.610 --> 0:37:29.440 a thought from somebody who has traveled to the Holy 0:37:29.440 --> 0:37:32.319 Land and brings back this Holy Land experience for you 0:37:32.320 --> 0:37:32.890 and me. 0:37:37.100 --> 0:37:41.420 My name is Beth. I'm from Indianapolis and this trip 0:37:41.420 --> 0:37:45.380 has just been incredible. It's hard to say what my 0:37:45.380 --> 0:37:48.469 favorite spot was, but if I had to pick one 0:37:48.469 --> 0:37:53.660 right now, I would say seeing Peter's house in Capernaum, 0:37:53.660 --> 0:37:58.610 right on the Sea of Galilee. And just to know 0:37:58.610 --> 0:38:03.020 that Jesus did his ministry in that small area of 0:38:03.020 --> 0:38:06.799 three towns that are very close to each other, was 0:38:06.800 --> 0:38:10.760 a real insight that he really didn't go far for 0:38:10.760 --> 0:38:14.720 the main part of his ministry those three years, and 0:38:15.020 --> 0:38:20.450 just to be in the spot where he stayed and 0:38:20.690 --> 0:38:24.739 did a major part of his ministry was incredible. I'll 0:38:24.739 --> 0:38:27.500 never read the Bible the same again. To know where 0:38:27.500 --> 0:38:31.850 each of these places are just adds so much understanding, 0:38:31.850 --> 0:38:36.049 and I've just learned how important it is to pay 0:38:36.050 --> 0:38:38.960 attention to the details of the Bible, that our God 0:38:38.960 --> 0:38:41.600 is a God of detail, and we need to know 0:38:41.600 --> 0:38:44.570 those details. So it was a real challenge for me 0:38:44.570 --> 0:38:46.520 to strive to do that more. 0:38:48.460 --> 0:38:51.850 Well, Charlie, sometimes we get confused when we read scriptures 0:38:51.850 --> 0:38:55.780 that apparently contradict each other. Help us unpack Proverbs 26 0:38:55.780 --> 0:38:57.550 verses four and five. 0:38:57.730 --> 0:38:59.650 Oh, thanks, John. Yeah, this is two of my favorite 0:38:59.650 --> 0:39:01.930 verses here, but I got to start this way. Over 0:39:01.930 --> 0:39:04.840 the past year, I posted a total of 29 short 0:39:04.840 --> 0:39:07.360 videos on my trips to Israel on our land in 0:39:07.360 --> 0:39:09.880 the book Facebook page. At the end of most touring days, 0:39:09.930 --> 0:39:12.790 I'd upload the video clips to my iPad and then 0:39:12.790 --> 0:39:15.460 produce a summary of the day set to music. It's 0:39:15.460 --> 0:39:18.640 actually a very therapeutic way for me to end each day. 0:39:18.850 --> 0:39:21.009 Most of the time, those videos are viewed by a 0:39:21.010 --> 0:39:23.350 few dozen to a few hundred friends and followers of 0:39:23.350 --> 0:39:25.899 the land in the book, but for some reason I 0:39:25.900 --> 0:39:28.480 can't even begin to explain. A few of the videos 0:39:28.480 --> 0:39:32.110 went viral, with tens of thousands of people viewing them. 0:39:32.110 --> 0:39:37.839 One reached over 173,000 people, with 13,000 directly engaging with 0:39:37.840 --> 0:39:40.270 the video in some way. Now, that sounds like a 0:39:40.270 --> 0:39:43.540 totally unexpected blessing, but it actually turned out to be 0:39:43.540 --> 0:39:46.239 both a blessing and a curse. Now, I say that 0:39:46.239 --> 0:39:49.150 because some who came across the videos and then shared 0:39:49.150 --> 0:39:52.270 them with their circle of friends and followers are definitely 0:39:52.270 --> 0:39:56.560 not friends of Israel, or the Jewish people, or evangelical Christians, 0:39:56.560 --> 0:40:00.640 or the radio program. In fact, some posts were downright hateful. 0:40:00.640 --> 0:40:04.960 And by hateful I mean using anti-Semitic slurs, swearing, posting 0:40:04.960 --> 0:40:08.200 inappropriate pictures, and providing links to other sites that are 0:40:08.200 --> 0:40:10.450 the opposite of what the land in the book and 0:40:10.450 --> 0:40:13.419 Moody Bible Institute believe in teach. I had to go 0:40:13.420 --> 0:40:17.200 through those posts dozens of times to hide and block 0:40:17.200 --> 0:40:20.710 individuals trying to hijack the site to promote their own 0:40:20.710 --> 0:40:24.670 anti biblical ideology. Even now, I still find myself going 0:40:24.670 --> 0:40:28.270 back every so often and discovering still more posts popping 0:40:28.270 --> 0:40:31.479 up like weeds needing to be pulled out. During all this, 0:40:31.480 --> 0:40:34.270 I asked myself what the proper response ought to be 0:40:34.270 --> 0:40:37.920 when confronted with individuals who respond in such hateful ways. 0:40:37.930 --> 0:40:41.410 And as always, the Bible provided the answer. So today 0:40:41.410 --> 0:40:44.140 we're going to be exploring some of King Solomon's wise 0:40:44.140 --> 0:40:47.290 words on how best to answer a fool. Now I 0:40:47.290 --> 0:40:49.510 need to start by defining what the Bible means by 0:40:49.510 --> 0:40:52.000 a fool. In the Bible, a fool isn't someone who 0:40:52.000 --> 0:40:55.060 merely acts silly. A fool is the opposite of someone 0:40:55.060 --> 0:40:59.170 who is wise. For example, Proverbs 1023 says, A fool 0:40:59.170 --> 0:41:03.320 finds pleasure in wickedness, but a wise man delights in understanding. 0:41:03.340 --> 0:41:07.120 Or Proverbs 1215. The wave of fool is right in 0:41:07.120 --> 0:41:10.169 his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. 0:41:10.180 --> 0:41:14.650 Perhaps Psalm 14 one characterizes the fool best. The fool 0:41:14.650 --> 0:41:18.070 says in his heart there is no God. So how 0:41:18.070 --> 0:41:20.500 do you respond to someone who is always convinced he 0:41:20.500 --> 0:41:23.319 or she has all the answers? Who refuses to listen 0:41:23.320 --> 0:41:25.900 to the advice or counsel of someone else, and who 0:41:25.900 --> 0:41:28.989 has no time for God in his or her life. Well, 0:41:28.989 --> 0:41:32.200 wise King Solomon offered two courses of action that at 0:41:32.200 --> 0:41:36.520 first actually seemed contradictory. Here's his answer in Proverbs 26, 0:41:36.520 --> 0:41:40.120 verse four, do not answer a fool according to his folly, 0:41:40.120 --> 0:41:42.880 or you will be like him yourself. And then here's 0:41:42.880 --> 0:41:46.060 response number two in the very next verse, answer a 0:41:46.060 --> 0:41:48.340 fool according to his folly, or he will be wise 0:41:48.340 --> 0:41:51.279 in his own eyes. So are you supposed to respond 0:41:51.280 --> 0:41:53.370 in a similar way to the words of a fool, 0:41:53.380 --> 0:41:56.620 or is the best response no response at all? Well, 0:41:56.620 --> 0:41:59.770 let's unpack Solomon's words to see how they apply. And 0:41:59.770 --> 0:42:04.509 we'll start with verse four. There are times when someone's crude, tasteless, 0:42:04.510 --> 0:42:07.750 vile remarks just punch all the wrong buttons in our 0:42:07.750 --> 0:42:11.319 lives and we get angry. Physiologically, our blood pressure and 0:42:11.320 --> 0:42:14.650 our heart rate rise and our adrenal glands release adrenaline 0:42:14.650 --> 0:42:18.550 prompting the fight or flight mechanism. We get agitated and 0:42:18.550 --> 0:42:21.970 we begin to process things less logically and more emotionally. 0:42:22.060 --> 0:42:24.850 A very real temptation, right then, is to lash out 0:42:24.850 --> 0:42:28.239 at the individual, either verbally or physically, to let them 0:42:28.239 --> 0:42:31.839 know our extreme displeasure. And that's why Solomon's words in 0:42:31.840 --> 0:42:35.380 verse four are so important. Don't answer a fool according 0:42:35.410 --> 0:42:37.820 to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. 0:42:37.840 --> 0:42:40.299 His point is that those who are wise must learn 0:42:40.300 --> 0:42:43.210 to control their emotions, so that they're not brought down 0:42:43.210 --> 0:42:46.120 to the level of the fool. Many times, the questions 0:42:46.120 --> 0:42:48.970 and statements of a fool simply need to be ignored. 0:42:49.000 --> 0:42:52.360 There's a quotation, rightly or wrongly, attributed to Mark Twain 0:42:52.360 --> 0:42:55.960 that represents the truth of Proverbs 26 four. This way. 0:42:56.110 --> 0:42:59.080 Never argue with a fool. They'll drag you down to 0:42:59.080 --> 0:43:02.560 their level and then beat you with experience. A more 0:43:02.560 --> 0:43:05.230 modern and perhaps more graphic example was shared by a 0:43:05.230 --> 0:43:08.950 former head of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, when 0:43:08.950 --> 0:43:11.680 he was being heckled by someone in the crowd asking 0:43:11.680 --> 0:43:15.370 nasty and irrelevant questions, the speaker finally held up his 0:43:15.370 --> 0:43:17.860 own hand and said, my friend, I'm not going to 0:43:17.860 --> 0:43:20.080 answer any more of your questions. I hope you won't 0:43:20.080 --> 0:43:22.989 take this personally, but I'm reminded of something my old 0:43:22.989 --> 0:43:26.380 uncle told me long ago. Back on the farm. He said, 0:43:26.380 --> 0:43:29.170 what's the sense of wrestling with a pig? You both 0:43:29.170 --> 0:43:32.500 get all over muddy and the pig likes it. So 0:43:32.500 --> 0:43:36.520 wise response number one is simply to ignore foolish comments 0:43:36.520 --> 0:43:39.760 and questions to remain above the fray. And that's what 0:43:39.760 --> 0:43:41.890 I actually chose to do for the vile and hateful 0:43:41.890 --> 0:43:45.580 comments posted on our Facebook page. In my sinful self, 0:43:45.580 --> 0:43:48.650 I wanted to fire back with my own verbal. But 0:43:48.650 --> 0:43:51.980 then I remembered Solomon's wise words. So instead I simply 0:43:51.980 --> 0:43:55.219 block the individual from our page, remove the post, and 0:43:55.219 --> 0:43:58.010 the problem was solved and I didn't lose my cool 0:43:58.010 --> 0:44:00.980 or waste my time. But what about those times when 0:44:00.980 --> 0:44:04.219 someone is promoting false teaching that could very well impact others? 0:44:04.310 --> 0:44:07.430 When someone fails to respond, it's possible the fool will 0:44:07.430 --> 0:44:10.100 believe he or she must be right. What are we 0:44:10.100 --> 0:44:13.280 to do in those situations? And that's when Solomon reaches 0:44:13.280 --> 0:44:16.070 into his bag of wisdom and pulls out verse five. 0:44:16.280 --> 0:44:18.800 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will 0:44:18.800 --> 0:44:21.770 be wise in his own eyes. Now I don't believe 0:44:21.770 --> 0:44:24.050 Solomon is telling us to climb down to the level 0:44:24.050 --> 0:44:26.930 of the fool by launching a personal attack or a 0:44:26.930 --> 0:44:30.620 vicious answer. The word translated according to in that verse 0:44:30.620 --> 0:44:34.220 is actually a single Hebrew letter that denotes a comparison. 0:44:34.580 --> 0:44:36.980 Solomon isn't saying we need to respond to the fool 0:44:36.980 --> 0:44:40.219 by acting in the same foolish way ourselves. Rather, he's 0:44:40.219 --> 0:44:42.380 saying that in those times we need to respond in 0:44:42.380 --> 0:44:45.229 a way that shows the foolishness of the comments made 0:44:45.230 --> 0:44:48.080 by the fool. The New American Standard Bible offers a 0:44:48.080 --> 0:44:51.170 good rendering of the phrase where to answer a fool 0:44:51.170 --> 0:44:54.560 as his folly deserves, unless we miss the point. Solomon 0:44:54.560 --> 0:44:58.160 explains why that sometimes necessary that he may not be 0:44:58.160 --> 0:45:00.980 wise in his own eyes. There are times when the 0:45:00.980 --> 0:45:03.620 fool and those who might be under his influence need 0:45:03.620 --> 0:45:06.109 to be shown that their arguments are flawed and their 0:45:06.110 --> 0:45:09.650 reasoning is faulty. A foolish comments can be ignored, but 0:45:09.650 --> 0:45:12.549 there are times when false ideas need to be corrected. 0:45:12.560 --> 0:45:15.350 So when should we apply verse four and when should 0:45:15.350 --> 0:45:19.219 we apply verse five? That comes from mastering God's wisdom. 0:45:19.250 --> 0:45:21.739 I would suggest that one way to discern is to 0:45:21.739 --> 0:45:24.880 see what our motives are for responding or not responding. 0:45:24.890 --> 0:45:27.440 If I want to respond because I'm offended and angry, 0:45:27.440 --> 0:45:29.750 then perhaps that's when I need to focus on verse 0:45:29.750 --> 0:45:32.540 four and not let myself be drawn into a debate. 0:45:32.540 --> 0:45:34.609 But if I want to respond because I see others 0:45:34.610 --> 0:45:37.069 being influenced by the fool, that's when I need to 0:45:37.070 --> 0:45:39.529 pray for wisdom and see if the response of verse 0:45:39.530 --> 0:45:42.560 five is appropriate. So how have I applied this to 0:45:42.560 --> 0:45:46.549 my life for 99% of the vile, filthy, false comments 0:45:46.550 --> 0:45:49.759 that were posted to our Facebook page? I simply block 0:45:49.760 --> 0:45:52.430 the one doing the posting. No answer would change their 0:45:52.430 --> 0:45:55.160 foolish opinion, and it could certainly take up a great 0:45:55.160 --> 0:45:58.339 deal of my time wrestling in the mud. Now I 0:45:58.340 --> 0:46:00.380 take the opposite approach with those who write to the 0:46:00.380 --> 0:46:04.130 program with questions I answer virtually everyone who writes, even 0:46:04.130 --> 0:46:07.250 when I sense an antagonistic spirit. And thankfully, there aren't 0:46:07.250 --> 0:46:09.469 too many of those. But I do want to provide 0:46:09.469 --> 0:46:12.319 them with a biblical answer. And I share those questions 0:46:12.320 --> 0:46:14.989 and answers on the program, because I want our listeners 0:46:14.989 --> 0:46:17.450 to be aware of the issues so that they aren't 0:46:17.450 --> 0:46:21.200 led astray. So should you answer a fool or not? 0:46:21.530 --> 0:46:26.150 The Solomon would say it depends. Study Proverbs 26, verses 0:46:26.150 --> 0:46:29.090 four and five, and then ask God to give you 0:46:29.090 --> 0:46:31.940 a heart of wisdom and knowing how best to respond. 0:46:32.090 --> 0:46:35.710 Boy, that is so practical. Charlie. Thank you for those insights. 0:46:35.719 --> 0:46:38.360 Proverbs 26 verses four and five. Maybe you want to 0:46:38.360 --> 0:46:41.570 check those out for yourself. Our podcast is available for 0:46:41.570 --> 0:46:44.239 you to share with a friend or enjoy yourself. You'll 0:46:44.239 --> 0:46:47.000 find it at the land and the book. Org I'm 0:46:47.000 --> 0:46:49.940 John Geiger for Charlie Dyer, thanking you for listening to 0:46:49.940 --> 0:46:52.730 The Land and the book, a production of Moody Radio, 0:46:52.730 --> 0:46:54.800 a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.